Turnover mechanisms

ABSTRACT

A mechanism for turning over relatively flat articles being advanced by a conveyor, which includes means for lifting the front of each article upwardly, when it reaches a predetermined point, to pivot about its rear edge resting upon the conveyor, means for engaging the rear edge to prevent sliding movement of the article in a direction opposite to the direction of motion of the conveyor, and support means for receiving the article when it overbalances about its rear edge, the said lifting means thereafter being lowered to control forward sliding movement of the edge, initially the rear one but now the forward one, of the article.

United States Patent 72] Inventors Henry Francis Triggs;

Frank Bert Lawton, West Drayton,

England [2]] App]. No. 731,891

[22] Filed May 24, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 5, 1971 [73] Assignee Ryemor Engineering Limited West Drayton, Middlesex, England a British company [32] Priority May 25, 1967 [33] Great Britain 1] No.2439Q/67 [54] TURNOVER MECHANISMS [50] Field ofSearch...L l98/33(R4) 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,034,632 5/1962 Wampler 198/33(R4) 3,074,530 l 1963 Rosenleaf l98/33(R4) 3,360,103 12/1967 Johnson l98/33(R4) Primary Examiner- Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson Attorney-Holman, Glascock, Downing & Seebold ABSTRACT: A mechanism for turning over relatively flat articles being advanced by a conveyor, which includes means for lifting the front of each article upwardly, when it reaches a predetermined point, to pivot about its rear edge resting upon the conveyor, means for engaging the rear edge to prevent sliding movement of the article in a direction opposite to the direction of motion of the conveyor, and support means for receiving the article when it overbalances about its rear edge, the said lifting means thereafter being lowered to control forward sliding movement of the edge, initially the rear one but now the forward one, of the article.

1 ruRNovEa MECHANISMS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION =The invention relates to turnover mechanisms used in association with conveyors for the purpose'of turning over individual articles carried on the conveyor, and is concerned,

more particularly, with such mechanism for use where the articles are relatively large and and flat, for example, car floor SUMMARY OF THE. INVIENTION The present invention consists in a mechanism for turning over relatively flat articles being advanced by a conveyor, which includes means for lifting the front of each article upwardly, when it reaches a predetermined point, to pivot about its rear edge resting upon the conveyor, and means for engaging the rear edge to prevent sliding movement of the article in a direction opposite to. the ,directionof motion of the conveyor, support means being provided for receiving the article when it overbalances aboutits rear edge, the saidlifting means thereafter being Ioweredto control forward sliding movement of the edge, initially the rear onebut now the forward one, of

the article.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically aside view of apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an end view of the apparatus of FIG. I with certain parts removed for clarity, and

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show, diagrammatically, four successive positions in the operation of the-turnover mechanism of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The upper run or flight of the belts 1 is arranged to conveyrelatively flat motor car panels (not shown) guided on each side by adjustable guides 14 from a press in the direction from left to right as shown in FIG. I.

When leading edge 9a of each panel 9 FIGS. 3-6 reaches a certain position, it operates a first trip arm 4 (FIG. I) to cause resetting of the turnover mechanism'to an initial position in which a pair of lifting arms 5 and a pairv of rear arms 6 are stationed beneath the conveying run of the conveyor with the controls alerted for lift. For very wide panels an additional arm 50 and an arm 60 is provided,adjustable laterally in positron.

In FIG. 2 arms 5, 6 are shown in the lowered position and are also shown, dot-dash lines in the raised position along with additional arms 5a, 6a.

It will be noted that arms 5 and 6 are swingable about a pivot 12 located below the conveyor with the arms 5 being downstream and the arms 6 upstream of the pivot 12. Each arm 5 is provided with a bellcrank extension 5b pivotally connected to a link 14 which, in turn, is pivotally connectedto a link 13. The link 13 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as shown at 13a and the freeendof the link, 13 is coupled to the piston rod 80 of a piston-'cyinder unit 8.

Each arm 6 is formed with an extension 6b which, via lever 11, is pivotally connected to the link 10 and the free end of the link I0 is connected to the piston rod.

When the'leading edge of the panel has reached a position where it operates the piston rod of the second trip arm 7, a piston unit 8 is retracted from an extended position so that the lifting arm 5 are rotated by means of the link 13, link 14 and the bellcrank extension 5b in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 12. At the same time, the arms 6 via the link 10, the lever 11, and the extension 612 rotate in a clockwise direction about the pivot 12 as is readily apparent from FIG. 1.

As the lifting arms 5 are raised, they engage the underneath of the panel 9 adjacent its leading edge 9a and tip it up about its trailing edge 9b which slides back until it engages rear extension 6b which are L-shaped to provide a stop (FIG. 4). Eventually, the panel overbalances against a support arm 15, which is adjustable in position. (FIG. 5).

When the piston rod of the piston-cylinder unit is fully retracted it strikes a further trip (not shown) which reverses the controls so that the piston rod of the piston-cylinder unit 8 extends thereby lowering the rear arms 6 and the rear edge 9b of the panel 9 (which has now become the leading edge) onto the conveyor (FIG. 6). The lowering of lifting arms 5 will control the sliding movement of the panel in an inverted position down again onto the conveyor with the rear edge 91; (now the front) of the panel engaging the lifting arms 5 and the front edge 9a (now the rear) engaging the rear arms 6. It is evident that to progress from the position of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 6, the edge 9b of the panel is provided with forward drive by the forward movement of the conveyor.

After having been turned over, the panel is transferred a second time over trip switch 7. In order that the turnover mechanism is not reactivated, the trip 7 is rendered inoperative when the further trip is activated by the piston rod of the piston-cylinder unit 8 as previously described. Trip switch 7 is not reactivated until a further panel has arrived at trip arm 4.

It will be appreciated that the turnover mechanism described above requires little more space in the conveying direction than the length of one panel and will operate without the necessity of stopping the conveyor.

Although there has been described a lever system for operating the lifting arms 5 and rear arms 6 simultaneously in opposite directions, it will be appreciated that other means, such as gearing or chains or separate synchronized systems may be employed for this purpose.

We claim:

I. A mechanism for turning over relatively flat articles having front and rear edges, including a continuously movable conveyor for advancing articles, a pair of first lifting arms for lifting the front edge of each article upwardly from the conveyor, when such article reaches a predetermined point, to pivot. such article about its rear edgeresting upon the conveyor, said first lifting arms extending longitudinally of the conveyor and normally being positioned beneath the conveyor, pivot means for mounting the first arms for upward movement about an axis located upstream of the first arms, a pair of second arms for engaging the rear edge of the article on the conveyor for preventing sliding movement thereof in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said second arms extending longitudinally of the conveyor and normally lying beneath the conveyor, said second arms being mounted on said pivot means for upward rotation about the axis located upstream of the first arms support means for receiving the article operably related to the conveyor and above the conveyor for receiving the article when it overbalances about its rear edge, said lifting arms thereafter being lowered to control forward sliding movement of the rear edge of the article, and means operably connected with said first and second arms for effecting upward movement of said arms in synchronisr'n.

2. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for effecting upward rotation of saidarms includes a pistoncylinder unit, and link means interconnecting said first and second arms with the piston rod of said piston-cylinder unit. 

1. A mechanism for turning over relatively flat articles having front and rear edges, including a continuously movable conveyor for advancing articles, a pair of first lifting arms for lifting the front edge of each article upwardly from the conveyor, when such article reaches a predetermined point, to pivot such article about its rear edge resting upon the conveyor, said first lifting arms extending longitudinally of the conveyor and normallY being positioned beneath the conveyor, pivot means for mounting the first arms for upward movement about an axis located upstream of the first arms, a pair of second arms for engaging the rear edge of the article on the conveyor for preventing sliding movement thereof in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said second arms extending longitudinally of the conveyor and normally lying beneath the conveyor, said second arms being mounted on said pivot means for upward rotation about the axis located upstream of the first arms support means for receiving the article operably related to the conveyor and above the conveyor for receiving the article when it overbalances about its rear edge, said lifting arms thereafter being lowered to control forward sliding movement of the rear edge of the article, and means operably connected with said first and second arms for effecting upward movement of said arms in synchronism.
 2. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for effecting upward rotation of said arms includes a piston-cylinder unit, and link means interconnecting said first and second arms with the piston rod of said piston-cylinder unit. 